In recent months we are seeing how the geopolitical situation has caused radical change in Europe’s energy policies. A dynamic that has accelerated the implementation plans for renewable energies, but also green hydrogen. Now an energetically unknown African country will become one of the world references in production of the energy vector, and that will have the objective of feeding Europe.
Is about Mauritania. A country located in northwest Africa that has a strategic position thanks to its proximity to the European continent, and which this week has become one of the future powers in the export of green hydrogen.
An agreement was signed this week between the Egyptian company Infinity Power, the German developer Conjuncta GmbH, the Arab investment fund Masdar and the Mauritanian government, by which it will develop a green hydrogen plant northeast of the capital Nouakchott that will have a capacity of up to 10 GW.
This gigantic facility will be built in four phases and the initial phase with a capacity of 400 MW is expected to be operational in 2028. From then on, work will continue for its expansion until there are enough electrolysers to reach the target for this 10 GW facility.
At its maximum output, the facility will produce up to 8 million tons of green hydrogen or its equivalent in renewable fuels for export purposes. An export that will be destined mainly to Europe.
According to Mauritania’s Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, Mohamed Saleh.“Our country is determined to occupy a leading position on the world map of the green hydrogen economy in the coming decades. We firmly believe that the development of the green hydrogen industry in Mauritania will bring environmental, economic and social benefits to our country and the world.”
It is estimated that the construction of the plant will create around 3,000 jobswhile the operation will mean the creation of 1,000 direct jobs.
It will not be the only project that has set its sights on Mauritania, which is positioning itself as a potential hub for the production and export of green hydrogen. companies like BP confirmed last November that it was analyzing the possibilities for large-scale green hydrogen production in the African country. Chariot Ltd and the French Total They are also studying the potential to build a plant that could achieve an electrolyser capacity of up to 10GW.
Namibia also wants to be an energy power
And it is that green hydrogen seems to allow countries that until now have not been relevant in energy, to become key in the energy transition, at the same time that they increase their capacity to be more self-sufficient, reducing their dependence on oil.
Another example is Namibia. There are several projects that seek to turn the country into a green hydrogen export power, and in this way it is expected that the initial production of green hydrogen will begin as early as 2026.
A first large-scale plant that should be fully operational by 2030, the date on which, according to the Namibian government, up to 5 GW of renewable energy will be deployed, which in addition to supplying the country’s energy needs, will also be responsible for the production of some hydrogen plants that will have a capacity of 3GWand that it will be able to carry out up to 2 million tons a year of green hydrogen or ammonia.
A production that also has very competitive cost targets, and where the government has set itself the challenge of achieving a cost of between 1.2 and 1.7 euros per kilo.
